Comments on: if i had any sense, i guess i’d fear this

By: Professionalism, fragmentation, moral minimalism and personal drama

Professionalism, fragmentation, moral minimalism and personal drama — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 02:33:06 +0000

[...] I am currently in the process of rewriting that post with the help of a few wonderful people. Why? Well, I was just going to let it go. I figured I had had my say, even if few actually saw it. I decided to wait and see what happened after pulling it. A few days later someone responded to me that it was “a great critique!” I then wrote a semi-veiled post to explain what happened. [...]

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:31:47 +0000

Hey Mark — I understand what you’re talking about. The original post was direct and eviscerating, but far from un-professional by any standard I could imagine. But I understand why it needed to be pulled.

Hope you’re feeling better!

By: Jenn

Jenn — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 04:37:57 +0000

Hmm. One of these days I need to go to Metadata Roundtable.

I started a private blog just tonight because I’ve been censoring myself too much this past year. Seeking refuge and release in anonymity and all that.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 01:24:55 +0000

Thank you all! Those who have commented here and those who have emailed me. Your concern means an awful lot to me.

Maybe in a couple of days I’ll clean up the parts that weren’t up to what they could have been, try to depersonalize it even more, and re-post it. Maybe.

It’ll be good practice for me, especially as it is the topic for next week’s Metadata Roundtable discussion.

Thank you all!

By: Christina Pikas

Christina Pikas — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 22:50:45 +0000

I read your post. I thought it was very well written and professional. Smart, thinking, well-meaning professionals can disagree — scratch that– *often* disagree. You were respectful and thoughtful. What we need are for people to contribute honestly and thoughtfully so we can move this profession forward and do better for our customers/patrons/users. By stifling your commentary, these people have damaged the biblioblogosphere which will impact the profession. IMHO. I shall continue to rant on my own space!

By: ranger

ranger — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 22:21:17 +0000

Wow, it looks like I somehow missed a heck of a post. Of all the weeks to get so busy! Anyway, Mark, as someone who’s been known to make herself sick over work hoo hahs, I feel okay in saying that when that happens, it’s time to take a step back and depersonalize. Again, since I didn’t read you post, I’m taking a chance in saying that. Please be well.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 21:42:35 +0000

I have rarely seen truer things said about “professionalism.” Well said altogether. Don’t fret there are many others who think as you do. Maybe some day there’ll be a critical mass of people and things will change.

By: Joy Weese Moll

Joy Weese Moll — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 19:51:20 +0000

I’m not really responding to either post, just expressing my concern over getting sick over all of this. I got sick two or three times over the occasional blow-ups that occur in the library blogosphere and decided that it just wasn’t worth it to me. Now that I’ve decided to be a detached observer, the blow-ups have all the effect of a soap opera that I watch everyday (haven’t done that in years–but who needs to when there’s a blogosphere). Anyway, I’m not sure that you would want to make the choice that I did for a number of reasons that you stated in this post, but I thought I’d throw it out there, just in case.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 18:41:04 +0000

Let me add a bit of clarification because I did a bad job of it; again:

1. My friend *did not* make me sick. I did it to myself. I value her advice to no end and she was only looking out for me.

2. If I, in fact, did what she thought, or if it even appeared as if I did, then she is correct. It was unprofessional.

3. I did *not* mean to do what she suggested I might have done. But I think she’s right. It certainly appeared that I may have been suggesting something I didn’t mean to.

4. I fully realize that my sense of professionalism is vastly different than many in the profession. Trying to push those limits is dangerous enough. And having to censor myself, especially based on what I feel is an extremely bastardized, and morally lacking, sense of professionalism is very painful, and hard.

5. That is what led me–ME–to make myself ill. It is no one else’s fault.

6. I fully realize that my subsequent actions make me no less a sheep than anyone else. They were taken on my own “behalf,” and I seriously hope that I would do the right thing on behalf of others. Just as I know I will do so for myself again someday. I know this because I have enough examples of when I have, in this and in other arenas, done so.

I hope this helps clarify a bit. If not, please ask. I truly am trying to grow.

I would be OK with discussing what I got right and what I got wrong with those I trust. I could provide you a copy if you no longer have it. But if the critique is (probably accurately) that it is simply stupid or “unprofessional” to criticize “those who cannot be criticized” then I don’t want to. I was *trying* to push some limits. I just pushed too far; even in my own shifted view.

I appreciate to no end my friends looking out for me. And they should feel free to tell me I’m being stupid (or whatever) when they feel the need. I may disagree in principle, while having to agree in reality. And that was the case this time.